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Achieve your goals in a supportive atmosphere

South Dublin Strength and Conditioning was founded in 2010 and is a constantly evolving, progressive training facility located in Harold’s Cross, Dublin.

Our aim is to help you achieve your goals, whether it is on the field, in the ring, on the court or just being able to excel at everyday tasks. We take pride in our service, constantly looking to improve and believe in building a strong foundation, both in physical capacities and mental fortitude.

We achieve this using various training methodologies and modalities, which are designed to get the most out of everyone that comes through the doors here at SDSC. Methods ranging from barbell training, bodyweight movements, gymnastics, kettlebell training, olympic lifting.

We are proud to be different to your standard gym. We are open to ALL levels. You will not find an elitist attitude or any egos in our community. No one will be judged on their ability, only on the effort and attitude that they bring to the gym.

Find a class

Strength Training

STRENGTH TRAINING

Conditioning Training

CONDITIONING
TRAINING

Core Work

CORE WORK

Movement Work

MOVEMENT WORK

Certified Coaches

CERTIFIED COACHES

Nutritional Advice

NUTRITIONAL ADVICE

Medically Aware Training

MEDICALLY AWARE
TRAINING

Central Location Dublin 6

CENTRAL LOCATION

Symetrio
Daily schedule
12:00 - 13:00

Open

  • David McConkey
17:00 - 18:00

Strength

  • David McConkey
18:00 - 19:00

Strength

  • David McConkey
19:00 - 20:00

Strength

  • David McConkey
20:00 - 21:00

Strength

  • David McConkey

Prices for real people

no hidden costs

€189

Per Month

Unlimited Sessions
Monthly InBody Scans
Performance Tracking
Expert Coaching
Movement Screening
Access to True Coach app (for travel and distance workouts)
Individual Diet Plan
Monthly Zoom check ins
Nutrition / Behaviour / Exercise goal setting
Online Support

Get in Touch

Hear what our members have to say

Since joining the gym I have gone on a different path. I’ve been looking after myself both physically and mentally in a way I’ve never done before and as a result I’ve really managed to achieve a lot of things. I do honestly think joining SDSC was the start of it all…It gave me a belief in myself.

Cathal

I have been performing much better on the pitch recently. I am feeling fitter, stronger and totally on point. I have no doubt it is due to the hours put in at the gym. I really appreciate the work and patience Dave puts in it is all paying off in spades!

Aoife

An avid GAA player I was devastated when injury caused me to hang up my boots much earlier than I had hoped. Joining SDSC was one of the best things I have done. Dave tailored every exercise to ensure I got strong without aggravating my old injuries. Prior to joining the gym, I could not squat my own body weight without having pain but within a few months I was squatting 70 kg pain free. SDSC not only improved by physical health but also gave me back the thing I missed most about GAA, that sense of training with your friends and having fun. I had tried joining commercial gyms after I finished GAA but I never continued with them. For me, the most important thing is to enjoy your training and look forward to going to the gym and that shone true in SDSC. I also recently had a baby and I'm 100% sure the strength I gained while training with Dave ensured I was able to stay fit during pregnancy and recover well after it. I cannot recommend this gym highly enough.

Chrissie

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Dec 3

Open
Workout 3 🎄🎄🎄 A bike heavy workout for our Bikeerg specialist 💪🏻 Ideally (!) a 60kg Slamball for men and 40kg Slamball for women 👀

Workout 3 🎄🎄🎄

A bike heavy workout for our Bikeerg specialist 💪🏻

Ideally (!) a 60kg Slamball for men and 40kg Slamball for women 👀 ...

sdscgym

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Nov 30

Open
Hard to believe it’s that time of the year again! 🎄🎄🎄 First workout is up tomorrow morning. This year each workout is inspired (and named after) some of our Team Tuesday regulars. Just a few more hours till the first one is announced 👀

Hard to believe it’s that time of the year again! 🎄🎄🎄

First workout is up tomorrow morning. This year each workout is inspired (and named after) some of our Team Tuesday regulars.

Just a few more hours till the first one is announced 👀 ...

sdscgym

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Oct 12

Open
Banded Lat Pulldowns … The Lat Pulldown is a movement usually lacking in a lot of garage gym programming. Although the bands don’t offer a consistent resistance curve like a cable machine, it is an alternative option for hitting the back at this angle (vertical pull), as a lot of times pull-ups are too much of a jump in intensity and not suitable when looking for more volume. FatGripz can help a bit with the grip and comfort too…

Banded Lat Pulldowns …

The Lat Pulldown is a movement usually lacking in a lot of garage gym programming.

Although the bands don’t offer a consistent resistance curve like a cable machine, it is an alternative option for hitting the back at this angle (vertical pull), as a lot of times pull-ups are too much of a jump in intensity and not suitable when looking for more volume.

FatGripz can help a bit with the grip and comfort too… ...

sdscgym

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Oct 5

Open
10,000 Steps 🚶 This always gets thrown around as a target for folks when trying to improve lifestyle habits or lose weight. It can often be seen as an elementary aim, beneath more seasoned or advanced trainees. Although the number may be thrown out without much thought, it really is a good indication of how much a person has moved in a given day. Tying this in with more studies around back health (or ‘spinal hygiene’) it is important to just get up and move. Staying seated or in the same spot for too long is bound to have anyone feeling awful. I have seen various recommendations for daily movement (the WHO recommending 60 minutes of moderate exercise), McGill recommending 3 x 30 min walks a day. Movement is a tonic and regardless of ability and fitness, 10,000 steps is a minimum requirement to remain healthy and human. People talk about being stiff and blaming it on lifting weights or going heavy but if your only movement for the day is moving a heavy barbell for a few sets and then sitting down more or less for the remainder of your waking day, of course you are going to feel stiff and tight. In terms of volume, like most things, the aim of 10,000 steps probably works best through multiple exposures throughout the day as apposed to a last ditch attempt to get in the majority of these steps an hour before bed time. 10,000 steps per day really is the price of admission for some of the most basic fitness goals and should not be over looked for even advanced trainees.

10,000 Steps 🚶

This always gets thrown around as a target for folks when trying to improve lifestyle habits or lose weight.

It can often be seen as an elementary aim, beneath more seasoned or advanced trainees.

Although the number may be thrown out without much thought, it really is a good indication of how much a person has moved in a given day.

Tying this in with more studies around back health (or ‘spinal hygiene’) it is important to just get up and move. Staying seated or in the same spot for too long is bound to have anyone feeling awful.

I have seen various recommendations for daily movement (the WHO recommending 60 minutes of moderate exercise), McGill recommending 3 x 30 min walks a day.

Movement is a tonic and regardless of ability and fitness, 10,000 steps is a minimum requirement to remain healthy and human.

People talk about being stiff and blaming it on lifting weights or going heavy but if your only movement for the day is moving a heavy barbell for a few sets and then sitting down more or less for the remainder of your waking day, of course you are going to feel stiff and tight.

In terms of volume, like most things, the aim of 10,000 steps probably works best through multiple exposures throughout the day as apposed to a last ditch attempt to get in the majority of these steps an hour before bed time.

10,000 steps per day really is the price of admission for some of the most basic fitness goals and should not be over looked for even advanced trainees. ...

sdscgym

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Oct 1

Open
I’ve been looking at some Dr McGill videos lately and he mentions side bends or loaded suitcase carries as being a more suitable progression for side planks than then likes of pallof presses. Of course, if this is being viewed in the terms of back rehab, the mechanism of the injury is important and will require specific exercises (brace v shear forces). One variation I have found useful is the use of bands to get more feedback from side bends. It can be common for folks to use excessive range on this movement, not sticking to the frontal plane - basically turning it into a side / front leaning bend, and also not bracing or breathing correctly with the movement. The addition of a band brings more tension and resistance in the most advantageous position (near the top) which requires more of a squeeze and stiffness in a safer position, and time to focus on the breath. This feeling of effort requires less range of movement and less change of injuries. Give it a go!

I’ve been looking at some Dr McGill videos lately and he mentions side bends or loaded suitcase carries as being a more suitable progression for side planks than then likes of pallof presses.

Of course, if this is being viewed in the terms of back rehab, the mechanism of the injury is important and will require specific exercises (brace v shear forces).

One variation I have found useful is the use of bands to get more feedback from side bends.

It can be common for folks to use excessive range on this movement, not sticking to the frontal plane - basically turning it into a side / front leaning bend, and also not bracing or breathing correctly with the movement.

The addition of a band brings more tension and resistance in the most advantageous position (near the top) which requires more of a squeeze and stiffness in a safer position, and time to focus on the breath. This feeling of effort requires less range of movement and less change of injuries.

Give it a go! ...

sdscgym

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Sep 27

Open
More from the catalogue of shit I don’t want to do, BUT I want the benefits (therefore I am doing it)… Some aerobic / cardiac output / zone 2 / nasal breathing / fidness stuff I would say a fair share of my sessions are ones that I am doing for a benefit in the future. I do enjoy training a lot of the time but I also don’t enjoy it a lot of the time too. I think this is where people are falling short and after listening to a podcast recently, I realised that I had fallen into this trap - I was not MAKING time for my own training but essentially seeing how things panned out and fitting in a session when time presented itself - which it rarely does. There are always things demanding our time and unless we set time aside, progress tends to falter. Things never really ‘settle’ in the future, the clamour will always be there. I always find myself encouraging people to box off specific times on their diaries for training - ‘making appointments with themselves’ and making sure to stick to these as if you were making time for someone or something else. Anyone successful that I have trained and at times when I have been most productive, this strategy has been key. I heard the analogy of training being like work - it is not enjoyable all of the time but we do it to get a pay check at the end of the week / month. Similar to training, we may not enjoy it all of the time but we are doing it to reap the rewards and benefits down the road.

More from the catalogue of shit I don’t want to do, BUT I want the benefits (therefore I am doing it)…

Some aerobic / cardiac output / zone 2 / nasal breathing / fidness stuff

I would say a fair share of my sessions are ones that I am doing for a benefit in the future. I do enjoy training a lot of the time but I also don’t enjoy it a lot of the time too.

I think this is where people are falling short and after listening to a podcast recently, I realised that I had fallen into this trap - I was not MAKING time for my own training but essentially seeing how things panned out and fitting in a session when time presented itself - which it rarely does.

There are always things demanding our time and unless we set time aside, progress tends to falter. Things never really ‘settle’ in the future, the clamour will always be there.

I always find myself encouraging people to box off specific times on their diaries for training - ‘making appointments with themselves’ and making sure to stick to these as if you were making time for someone or something else.

Anyone successful that I have trained and at times when I have been most productive, this strategy has been key.

I heard the analogy of training being like work - it is not enjoyable all of the time but we do it to get a pay check at the end of the week / month. Similar to training, we may not enjoy it all of the time but we are doing it to reap the rewards and benefits down the road. ...

sdscgym

View

Sep 25

Open
Gorilla Lat Pulldown I saw these over on @poweringthrough and they will be featuring this week as part of the accessory work on day 3. They can be great as a warm up and another option for working / stretching the lats after some heavier work 🦍

Gorilla Lat Pulldown

I saw these over on @poweringthrough and they will be featuring this week as part of the accessory work on day 3.

They can be great as a warm up and another option for working / stretching the lats after some heavier work 🦍 ...

sdscgym

View

Sep 21

Open
Elbowing Landmine Row or Landmine Elbowing Row 🤷🏼‍♂️ Trying to find some rowing options with elbow tendonitis so I gave these a go… I used straps to allow a slightly lighter grip and was able to get a good stretch in the lats for the most part. Although not the same fixed range as a machine, it gives a bit more consistency in rom per rep as opposed to dumbbells. A nice angle to hit the lats and slightly less weight used than a standard row (giving the elbows a bit of respite).

Elbowing Landmine Row or Landmine Elbowing Row 🤷🏼‍♂️

Trying to find some rowing options with elbow tendonitis so I gave these a go…

I used straps to allow a slightly lighter grip and was able to get a good stretch in the lats for the most part.

Although not the same fixed range as a machine, it gives a bit more consistency in rom per rep as opposed to dumbbells. A nice angle to hit the lats and slightly less weight used than a standard row (giving the elbows a bit of respite). ...

sdscgym

View

Sep 12

Open
Come in for Team Tuesday they said, it’ll be fun they said… (It is fun)

Come in for Team Tuesday they said, it’ll be fun they said…

(It is fun) ...

sdscgym

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Aug 25

Open
‘Stronger people are generally harder to kill’. Generally. Although we do try.

‘Stronger people are generally harder to kill’. Generally. Although we do try. ...

sdscgym

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Aug 21

Open
I’d normally send this information out on emails but it’s fairly evident no one reads them anymore 😭 Here is the current format for our training block (we are half way through now). As always, from a coaching perspective, there are plenty of takeaways from each block and learnings that we can bring in to future blocks - which I WILL send out via email, but the big noticing so far (unsurprisingly) is that the majority folks that got through week 1 and increased the weight on the bar for week 2, hit a wall on week 3 and couldn’t complete all reps or worse still, sets. One of the main features of the hypertrophy blocks is volume and I also want people to think about repetitions as a way of progression and not just the weight on the bar. It is important to be patient with this stuff. I have tried to rush progress myself in the past and it leads to months (if you’re lucky) of plateaus or injuries. If you’re stuck on certain numbers on the main lifts, try a different strategy and don’t look to max out every session (and listen to the coaches).

I’d normally send this information out on emails but it’s fairly evident no one reads them anymore 😭

Here is the current format for our training block (we are half way through now).

As always, from a coaching perspective, there are plenty of takeaways from each block and learnings that we can bring in to future blocks - which I WILL send out via email, but the big noticing so far (unsurprisingly) is that the majority folks that got through week 1 and increased the weight on the bar for week 2, hit a wall on week 3 and couldn’t complete all reps or worse still, sets.

One of the main features of the hypertrophy blocks is volume and I also want people to think about repetitions as a way of progression and not just the weight on the bar.

It is important to be patient with this stuff. I have tried to rush progress myself in the past and it leads to months (if you’re lucky) of plateaus or injuries.

If you’re stuck on certain numbers on the main lifts, try a different strategy and don’t look to max out every session (and listen to the coaches). ...

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10-11 Greenmount Avenue, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6

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